If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Re: Anyone used Sierra's Tipped Matchkings?

I have heard good reports on the TMKs and some of the bullets have really gained in performance with the upgrade. The best example is the 30-cal 168TMK. Sierra took the opportunity to fix the problem with the boat tail of the 168SMK by reducing the angle. The 168TMK is no longer the poster child of the 30 caliber bullet tumbling out of control before getting to 1000 yards.

Re: Anyone used Sierra's Tipped Matchkings?

I've used the Sierra Tipped Game Kings. I never buy match bullets except for my .223 Bolt gun. The 68 grain Hornady match bullet is the only thing that rifle will shoot. The game kings are great for hunting.

Daddy, what's an enabler?
Son that's somebody with nothing to do with his time but keep me in trouble with mom.

Re: Anyone used Sierra's Tipped Matchkings?

Well hell, I can't find the box they came in even. I just have these five loaded rounds in the back of a box of loaded rounds I know to be 117 Grain lead tipped Game Kings. What color is the tip on SMKs? Maybe that's what I had. I need to look up what I loaded. I log all loads on the computer. I'll find it. Now I know how Gene felt when he had that thread about Alzheimers. You're not alone Gene.

Last edited by snake284; 02-15-2018 at 05:05 AM.

Daddy, what's an enabler?
Son that's somebody with nothing to do with his time but keep me in trouble with mom.

Re: Anyone used Sierra's Tipped Matchkings?

For the longest time, people had been ragging on Sierra for their crummy meplats; ragged, uneven size, etc. Their answer was always the same, crummy meplats don't make a difference. Of course that was rapidly disproven and I guess when they finally realized that their bullets were not the ones used to set new records, they had a late epiphany. Hornady was among one of the early adopters of "plastic" tips, in their A-Max and V-max offerings, but those tips had some issues, like melting in flight and suddenly your bullet did loop-the-loops or worse. They have since corrected that.

At any rate, Sierra decided to tip some of their Match Kings and they actually selected bullets that should be similar to Bergers used in competition.

Berger does not tip their bullets, but their meplats are much better than what Sierra was offering pre-tipping. However, lots of competitors trim the tip of their Berger bullets. In competition, I use JLKs which have better meplats than Bergers, but I have taken to tipping even these bullets as the level of competition increased. I don't trim them as they don't need that but I tip them all with a Whidden die just to make sure the tiny meplats are all the same as well as smaller.

I have heard of a few F-classers trying the TMKs, but since the trend in F-TR has shifted to 200+ grain high-BC .308 bullets, Sierra has not kept pace with a tipped heavy, so they don't show up.

On the other hand, many premium ammo offerings now feature the 175TMK (and others,) and that's good. I've also seen premium ammo with Berger bullets. On other forums that I frequent, a number of PRS shooters are reporting good things about premium ammo with TMKs. Some of these guys don't handload, unlike virtually all F-classers.

I understand that. What I was talking about is what I have on hand. I still don't know what those blue tipped bullets are. They are plastic. I had a brain fart and thought they were GC also. I only have five left. Whatever they were they are something I bought back when I first got my .257 BOB AI from my gun smith. At that time I finally settled on Combined Technologies Ballistic Tips. I had since tried some 117 Grain SGKs. I oughta have my ass whipped for putting these 5 in the box along with regular Game Kings.

Do Hornady SSTs have plastic tips? And if so, what color are the tips?

Last edited by snake284; 02-16-2018 at 12:46 AM.

Daddy, what's an enabler?
Son that's somebody with nothing to do with his time but keep me in trouble with mom.

Re: Anyone used Sierra's Tipped Matchkings?

Thank you Brother Peg! And you Jogged my memory. I remember now, I bought those when I couldn't get the Combined Technologies. I didn't log them up because they were so close to the Combined Technologies and are loaded accordingly.

Edited to Add:

Sierra needs to get on the band wagon and make some tipped GKs. They make a hollow point GK, they could put tips on them as well. They could make an already fine bullet better.

Last edited by snake284; 02-16-2018 at 01:03 AM.

Daddy, what's an enabler?
Son that's somebody with nothing to do with his time but keep me in trouble with mom.